Harvest
by TurboloverJP
Summary: Some "thing" is terrorizing the dark streets of New Gotham
1. Part I

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Birds of Prey. No copyright infringement is intended.

**HARVEST**  


It's now almost midnight and I haven't seen one ounce of action tonight.

At this point I'd much rather be wasting my time catching on the sleep that my body so desperately needs, seeing that I've been pulling some late nights every night for the past week or so.

"Oracle?"

:: Go ahead, Huntress. ::

"This is stupid. I've been out here all night and there's absolutely nothing going on. My butt's starting to fall asleep."

I could hear Barbara sigh through the comm because if she had HER way I'd be out here all damn night.

:: Fine. Call it a night. ::

I couldn't help but smile, I love it when I get what I want. "Huntress out."

I jumped over to the adjacent rooftop, landing squarely on my feet. At that same moment, Barbara's voice came back over my comm.

:: Huntress? ::

That's so damn annoying when she does that - making me think that I'm off the hook and then she goes and changes her mind.

"What?" I couldn't mask the annoyance in the tone of my voice. To be honest, I didn't try very hard to.

:: I just got Intel on a body that's been found at the lumber yard. ::

"Are the police there now?"

:: No. I just got the info from an underground source. They said we should check it out before the police get to it. ::

Okay, now I was intrigued. Cases such as this in which the police are the last to know usually spell trouble. And hell...I love trouble.

"I'm on my way."

:: Dinah's going to meet you there. Oracle out. ::

Great. Another baby-sitting mission. Barbara knows I love those.

I race through the streets and try to envision what it is I'm going to find when I get there. There's got to be something unique about this poor stiff, or else the Intel wouldn't have made it to Barbara.

***

The lumber yard is a little more creepy at night than I had expected. The large machinery look rather menacing in the dark as the shadows play with their appearance. To think that some of the machines are downright deadly with all those sharp blades makes me shudder.

"Huntress!" Dinah calls out as she pulls up in the Hummer.

"Maybe you better wait out here while I check this out."

She climbs out of the Hummer and holds up a pair of transmission glasses. "Barbara wants to see what we see. I think it's safe to say that you wouldn't be caught dead wearing these so I'm going in with you."

I held myself back from commenting by taking a deep breath and letting it out slow and easy. "Fine."

We went into the building, cautious of the possibility that the killer could still be in there.

The place was hauntingly silent, except for the occasional noise of the machinery creaking just from the mere weight.

We scanned the entire first half of the building and made our way to the cutting area. That's when we found him. 

From where we were standing all you could see were his legs. As we got closer you could smell the coppery odor of fresh blood. It looked like his top half was under one of the machines.

"Oracle, are you getting this?" Dinah asked as she turned on the glasses and sent the images to Barbara's computer.

:: Uploading them now. ::

We both waited for Barbara's reaction as the images revealed themselves to her.

:: Geezus. Is he pinned under there? ::

I knelt down to get a better look. "No. Looks like someone just stuffed him under there."

:: Pull him out. ::

Dinah looked at me and motioned towards the man's body. "Be my guest."

I snarled at her and grabbed the man's ankles, pulling him out from under the machine. "Holy shit!" I exclaimed at the same time Dinah gasped and covered her mouth at the sight. The man's eyes were wide open and staring straight ahead. The expression of shock and horror was eerily etched on his face. But worst of all...he had a hole in his chest and some of his organs had been ripped out.

"You seeing this shit?" I asked Barbara as I dropped the dead man's ankles and let them fall to the dusty floor.

:: What the hell?? :: Barbara asked with surprise. :: Dinah, zoom in on the wound. ::

She zoomed in and closed her eyes, swallowing back the nausea that was creeping up in her throat.

:: Looks like his liver was ripped out. Like something dove right into his body and yanked it out. Can you get samples? ::

Reaching into my jacket, I pulled out the small baggie of supplies. "I'll get what I can. Do you want us to bring him back for observation?"

:: No, we better not. ::

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Dinah announced as she ran out of the room to toss her cookies.

:: She okay? ::

"She'll be fine. She's gutta learn to deal with this stuff, ya know."

:: Go easy on her, please. I remember you weren't all that comfortable with dead bodies when you first started either. ::

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I've got some tissue and blood samples."

:: Good enough. I'll see you back here. ::

"Be there in a few," I said as I tucked the samples into my pocket and stood up, looking at the man in an attempt to understand his story. Who would rip someone's liver out like that? Who could break through bone that easily to get at it in the first place?

I left the room and went outside and found Dinah leaning by the Hummer, hands on her knees.

"You want me to drive back?"

"Are you crazy? I don't want to get killed."

The girl had a mouth on her and there were just some times that I really wasn't in the mood for it. Tonight was one of those times.

"Get in car and shut the fuck up or I'll give you a hell ride you'll never forget, one that'll make you puke all night long."

I didn't wait for an answer, I just grabbed the keys from her hand and climbed behind the wheel.


	2. Part II

Barbara analyzed the samples we'd taken and they didn't tell us much. Hmph. You'd think that with all that incredible technology she's got she would have been able to turn up something. No such luck.

I found myself back in the same place as the previous night and with the same amount of action...zippo. Is this a bad case of deja vu or what?

I figured a walk might do me some good, and keep me awake, so I get down to street level and prowl around.

It isn't too long before I spot a man at the other end of the street stumbling along. He's probably drunk, but I decide to go investigate just in case.

When I get closer to him I watch him fall to his knees, clutching his side and screaming a bunch of garbled words.

"He...he...help," he slurred as he began to spew blood from his mouth.

I couldn't help but grimace at the disgusting sight. It's not like I hadn't seen people spew blood before, but it's still kinda gross.

He fell to the ground, still holding his side, his fingers in a death grip around the blood-soaked material of his shirt.

"What happened to you?" I asked, trying not to get too close in fear he might spew blood on me and my leather duster.

He reached out and grabbed my ankle, pleading for help. "It...it...don't let..." He coughed up more blood and yelled out in pain.

"It what? What is 'it'?"

His mumbling was impossible to understand so I had to kneel beside him to try and hear him better.

He held onto my pant leg with a death grip as he tried to speak through his pain. His side was all cut up and bloody and when he moved his arm I could see part of his insides hanging out.

"Who did this to you?"

I heard a low growl from a few feet away and quickly looked up. The only sight that greeted me were two red, glowing eyes that peered out of the shadows.

"No!!!" the man screamed as he leaned against me in a desperate attempt to get up.

I stood up and felt my adrenaline kick up a few notches as I readied myself for the "thing" to show itself.

"Don't let it get me!" the man yelled as he tried to crawl away.

I stood my ground and watched the red eyes, but the "thing" never moved.

In an effort to coax it from it's hiding place, I flashed my catlike pupils at him. It got a loud growl in response.

"Come on, show yourself. Who are you?"

The eyes blinked and another growl echoed through the street. Then it lowered itself. I got ready for it to pounce, but instead it flew into the air and disappeared.

"What the fuck was that shit?"

I turned back to the man who'd made it across the street, but was now lying on his stomach, panting.

I ran over to him and could see a massive pool of blood around him. "I'll get you some help," I assured him as I activated my comm.

"No!" he gasped as he turned over, reached up and grabbed the front of my duster with both hands. "It's too late for me," he whispered as his eyes began to close. "Sssstop th-that thing." His eyes closed and he let go of my coat as his body had finally succumbed to the severity of his wound.

Before I had a chance to do or say anything, the "thing" swooped down out of nowhere, knocking me out of the way with a strong shove. 

Just as I got up, it snatched up the man's body like a rag doll and ran off into the darkness.

I thought about following, but this thing was quick. A little too quick for me.

***

I returned to the Clocktower and trudged out of the elevator. I was tired physically and emotionally and it showed.

"Oh my God, Helena!" Dinah gasped as she launched out of her chair and ran over to me.

Barbara looked up from her monitor and immediately came over as well.

"What?" I asked, a little shocked by the response.

"You're bleeding!" Dinah gasped as she put her hands all over me, searching for the source of the blood.

I brushed her hands away. "It's not mine."

Barbara still stared at me, as if she didn't believe me.

I opened my coat and then moved my hands all over my upper body and even went as far as to lift up my shirt

. "See...not mine."

"If it's not yours then who's is it?" Barbara asked as she grabbed the sleeve of my coat and dragged me towards the kitchen to clean me up.

"Some guy's, I didn't really catch his name before he died right in front of me."

Barbara turned the faucet on and wet some paper towels to help clean the blood off me.

"The guy's guts had been ripped out, similar to the guy from last night." I scrubbed my hands with the liquid soap and watched the crimson water disappear down the drain as I continued my tale. "I didn't get a good look at who or what did it, but I saw it's eyes. Red and mean. They had a glow about them."

Dinah huffed as she laughed. "You sure you didn't have a few out there or something?"

"I'm not making this shit up. I saw two glowing, red eyes from the darkness. The thing growled at me then took off. When I went back over to the guy, the thing came back and pushed me to the ground. It grabbed the guy and ran off with him." I looked at Barbara to see if she may have an explanation, but she was busy cleaning the blood from my coat. "Hello? Anyone think that's rather odd that there's some...some THING out there with glowing, red eyes going around ripping people's organs out?!?"

Barbara stopped cleaning and looked at me. "I can't say that I've heard of such a THING but that's not to say that it isn't real."

That was it. I turned the water off and grabbed a towel as I shoved my way passed the two of them.

"Helena?" Barbara called out to me, surprised at my sudden exit.

I almost didn't turn around but my inner frustrations took over and turned me around. "If you two aren't going to take this shit seriously then there's nothing left to discuss. I'm not sure why all of a sudden you think I've lost my mind when I..."

"Helena? We didn't say we didn't believe you. You're tired, drained and..."

"Wait! Let me get this straight, you say that you're not saying that you don't believe me and yet you say that I'm tired and drained. In other words, maybe because I'm tired I was just seeing things. So in reality you really don't believe me. And it's funny how you're more concerned about proving me to be a looney tune when another victim's gotten their guts ripped out and I'm standing here covered in their blood!" I turned back around and stormed towards the elevator, my fists clenched by my sides.

"Helena? Helena!"

I ignored Barbara's voice and got into the elevator. I mashed my thumb on the "door close" button until the heavy doors closed behind me. Then I closed my eyes as I swallowed down my rage.

Barbara was right, I am tired and I am drained, but I did NOT imagine those eyes or the "thing" that grabbed that guy.


	3. Part III

Barbara left several messages on my machine by the time I made it to my apartment. I erased them all without listening to them.

I'm sure she's tried to get me through my comm link too, but I really could give a shit right now. It's off and it's staying off.

As I toss my coat onto the back of a chair, I go to the fridge and grab a beer. Busting it open, I take a few swigs and then collapse onto my newspaper-littered sofa. I don't think I've even read any of the papers thoroughly, just read a page here and there and tossed them down.

Leaning my head back, I can't help but replay the fight between myself, Barbara and Dinah over and over in my head. I don't know I'm allowing myself to think about it, other than the fact that I'm sick of Barbara acting like she knows everything and everyone else around her is a babbling idiot. I worry about Dinah sometimes, being she hangs around with Barbara so much. I fear that she too will start acting like a snotty know-it-all and then I'd have two people that would soon been eating my fist.

Taking another sip of my beer, I get up and drag myself into my bedroom where I plunk down on the bed. I set my beer on the nightstand and laid down only for a minute, but it was one minute too long because I fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

***

Those eyes. Those red, glowing eyes. They're staring at me. I can almost feel them burning a hole through me.

They blink and disappear into the darkness for a split second and then they're there again. Blood red and glowing with evil.

Just as I'm about to walk towards them, I see them narrow and then I hear the growl. The growl is a dull rumble and then an ear-drum-blowing roar as it crouches and jumps at me.

The adrenaline in my veins is like an out-of-control tidal wave and I soon realize that it's just a dream as I bolt upright in my bed, panting and sweating as my heart thumps widely against my chest wall. "Holy shit," I exclaim as I lick my lips and swallow hard as I continue to breathe heavily.

I look over at the clock and realize it's midmorning, so I drag myself out of bed and into the bathroom to take a shower before heading out to track down this freak who's now invaded my dreams.

***

I spent a good part of the afternoon and early evening asking around about this red-eyed thing that's been sucking organs out of people and not one person has given me any information. I find it really hard to believe that I'm the only one that's seen this thing.

I have a feeling that a few people that I talked to have seen it and are afraid to admit it. One in particular comes to mind because when I asked him about it he nearly pissed his pants. He claimed he didn't know what I was talking about, but his reaction said the opposite. So, I'm keeping an eye on him. Perhaps he's the next target? In a way I hope he is so I can find out who this son-of-a-bitch is and stop him before he kills somebody else.

As I sit on this rooftop, watching the man down at street level, I put my finger to my comm set. I lightly trace it so I'm sure not to activate it because I'm still wondering if I should. Barbara and I have had it out many times before, and this won't be the last time, but it's so damn annoying.

I want to contact her because I could use some more info, but on the other hand I...

"So you're just gonna write us both off and do things your way from now on, huh?"

I was so lost in thought I didn't even hear Dinah sneak up behind me. My bad, that could get me killed.

I don't turn around, I don't want to give her the satisfaction. "What? And you and Barbara don't already do things your own way? But then again, your way is always right. What an idiot I am, I totally forgot."

Dinah approaches and stands next to me. "Look, she's been at this a hell of alot longer than the two of us so I'm going to put more stock in what she's got to say."

That one stung, and I glared at her to let her know it.

"I don't mean that I'm never going to listen to what you have to say, but sometimes Barbara's right. And sometimes...well...Barbara's right when she says you're pig-headed and..."

"I'm not quite sure why you bothered to track me down other than to basically tell me 'fuck you,' in so many words."

Dinah uncrossed her arms and huffed. "I'm being honest with you. I want to work WITH you, not against you, but I think you really need to listen to me and Barbara sometimes."

I stood up and got in her face, pointing finger and all. "Smarten up, she's using you in order to make you into her little Minnie Me. She tried that shit with me and it didn't work. You've proven that you're easily influenced and she's using that to her advantage. She's using your weakness as her personal gain."

Dinah's bottom lip began to quiver and I knew that any minute she was going to bust out into tears, happens every time.

Guess what...I was wrong.

Her fist buried itself in my ribcage before I could blink an eye. I hit the ground gasping for air and grunting in pain. We've sparred before and she's never hit me with such force. 

"I'm not weak!" she spat as she kicked me hard in the ribs, doubling my pain. "Take it back!" she yelled as she used her telekinesis to lift me off the ground and then slam me back down.

At least one of my ribs cracked under the force and each breath caused more pain.

"I said TAKE IT BACK!" she screamed as I flew into the air once again, but this time I was thrown towards the ledge of the rooftop.

I crashed into the stone wall, rolled onto the ledge on my back and fell backwards over the ledge. Luckily, I grabbed onto a metal bar on the fire escape on the way down, or else I would have splattered all over the ground.

My ribs screamed at me as I hung at least six stories in the air from a small metal bar.

Sucking in a breath, I swung my legs over towards the fire escape and hooked them around some other bars of the structure so I could get inside to the stairway.

I managed to get to the stairs and took a moment to clutch my side as I tried to breathe through the pain. Then, I began walking down towards the street.

I jumped off the stairs and crashed onto the ground. The harsh movement cause the crack in my ribs to expand and break. I've broken ribs before and this time was no different in that it hurt like hell. I think it hurt more knowing who caused the damage.

Leaning against the brick wall of the building, I took a moment to gather myself before attempting to get up.

:: Huntress?!? :: I hear Barbara yell in my ear.

"Oracle?" I gasp in pain-filled yet confused voice. I never turned my comm on so how did she...

:: I overrode your comm in order to contact you. Have you seen Dinah? ::

Had I ever. "Yeah," was all I could manage to say.

:: Where is she? Is she with you right now?:: Barbara's voice reeked of panic and fear.

"No," I grunted as I swallowed hard. "She was just on the rooftop with me." My voice barely spoke the words because it was getting harder to breathe.

:: I need you to keep tabs on her until I get out there, but you need to stay away from her. She's been infected! ::

My sleepy-pain-filled eyes shot open as I heard the word. "What? Infected?"

:: We were out last night and she was attacked by the same monster that you saw. When I got her back to the Clocktower, she started showing signs of heightened aggression. She... ::

Dinah walked out of the darkness and stood in front of me, stealing my attention away from Barbara's voice.

:: Huntress? :: Barbara called out.

I clutched my side as I got to my feet, ready for her attack. 

:: Huntress?!? ::

Dinah folded her arms over her chest as she smiled evilly at me. It sent a shiver up my spine because this wasn't the Dinah that I knew.

"You need help, Dinah."

:: Huntress?!? She's there with you? ::

"Yes," I said flatly and softly.

:: I'm on my way! ::

Dinah broke out in a fit of laughter. "You really think Barbara's gonna come out here and save your sorry ass after all the things you said?"

"She's coming out here to help you. You've been infected by that...that freak!"

"He's not a freak!"

I should have kept my big mouth shut because I soon found myself being lifted off the ground and hurled towards a storefront window.

The sharp shards cut through my coat and dug into my flesh as I broke through the glass. The sound of the breaking glass was sharp and deafening.

I lay still for a moment on a bed of broken glass as I tried to get my bearings together.

"Aw. Did that hurt?" Dinah taunted from the sidewalk.

I tried to sit up but immediately felt a sharp, burning pain in my already wounded side. At first I thought I'd broken more ribs, but looking down I could see that I'd been impaled by a large shard of glass.

I didn't have much time to think about it because Dinah climbed through the window and hauled me up into a sitting position as she grabbed onto the lapel of my coat.

"I'm sorry that I had to be so rough with you, but you need to be a little more open-minded and a little more closed-mouthed."

Trying to stay alert, I did my best to keep my eyes from rolling back into my head. The pain was nagging at my brain to shut my body down, but I couldn't pass out because he was behind her. 

He growled and snarled as saliva dripped from the huge fangs that protruded from his mouth. 

If I had to describe him, he'd definitely be something out of the movie Alien because he didn't look human.

"Let me introduce you," Dinah said as she held onto the leather tighter and dragged me out to the sidewalk.

The pain was excruciating. In fact, it was so bad, I wanted to cry.

She let go of my jacket and I flopped to the ground, immediately rolling onto my right side in order to take the pressure off the other side. I was bleeding everywhere and with the glass poking out of the wound it was hard to put my hands over it to get it to stop.

"This is Helena, oh, I mean Huntress. Sorry, looks like I've given away your little secret. She likes to play superhero so she's got a code name."

"Oracle?" I whispered in a desperate, whimpering cry. But there was no answer.

"My new friend here's had to 'borrow' some organs from unsuspecting donors in order to stay alive. He's quite intelligent. He's even performed the transplants on himself, believe it or not."

The alien-like creature stuck his chest out to display the nasty, scarred skin that looked like it had been cut and sewn back together with rope and a ski pole.

"He needs a heart and I think yours is the strongest one that I know of. So..."

"I don't think so," Barbara said as she wheeled up behind them, gun in-hand.

The creature turned around and lunged towards Barbara. I heard three shots ring out and then heard a loud thud as he fell to the ground. My stomach rolled as I saw thick, green fluid leak from his body and begin pooling around him.

"You bitch!!" Dinah yelled as she turned towards Barbara who was raising a gun at her.

"Dinah, no!!" I tried to yell, but it came out more like a whisper.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth against the pain as I heard two shots ring out. I quickly looked over and saw Dinah fall to the ground.

My body couldn't take it anymore and finally shut down.


	4. Part IV

I felt a warm hand touch mine. Just the sensation alone hitting my nerves woke me up.

I immediately attempted to sit up, but the pain reintroduced itself to me and I laid back down. Not sure how or why I had forgotten about it. I guess your body tends to work in mysterious ways.

"You okay?" Barbara asked as she rubbed her thumb over the back of my hand.

It took me a moment for everything to register in my brain and to notice that Barbara was sitting beside me. Then I remembered what had happened to Dinah. 

I yanked my hand away from her in disgust. "I can't believe you shot her!"

Barbara looked down and sighed heavily. "I..."

"There's no way you can justify your..."

"She didn't shoot me," Dinah said as she appeared in the doorway.

Okay, maybe it was the medication talking, but I could have sworn I just heard Dinah speak and now I think she's standing right in front of me.

"Well, sorta," Dinah explained as she limped into the room.

"I...I thought..." For once in my life I was at a loss for words.

"I shot her with two tranquilizers, heavy duty ones. It was the only way I could get her back to the lab to give her the serum."

"Heavy duty is putting it mildly," Dinah added as she eased herself down on a chair by the end of my bed, rubbing her thigh.

"So...you're yourself again?"

"Yeah," Dinah nodded as she looked at me. Her eyes moved down towards my injured, bandaged ribs and she started to cry.

"Yep, you're back to normal, you're crying."

Barbara gave me a shove.

"Ow! Easy!" I yelped as the pain kicked itself up a notch.

Dinah sniffed and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Helena. I didn't..."

I put up my hand to stop her. "You don't have to be sorry. It wasn't you."

"But I said some pretty nasty things on top of knocking you senseless and..."

"I think we're even with the nasty talk part. The other part, however....I think I smell a rematch coming soon."

"Oh no you don't!" Barbara interrupted as she shook her head in protest.

I winked at Dinah to let her know I was trying to get Barbara all riled up and she smiled as she wiped her tears away.

"I don't want to see you out of this bed for a few days, you hear me? If I catch you two in the training room so help me. Is anyone even listening to me?"

"Oh yeah, we're listening," I said with sarcasm.

"I mean it, Helena."

"Alright, alright. I hear you."

"And you, I want you to get back to bed. You should be resting."

Dinah got up and began limping towards the door. "I'll come by later, Helena."

"Okay. Bring your boxing gloves."

"Helena!" Barbara snapped.

"What? I'm kidding."

I let Barbara stew in it for a few minutes and watched the angered expression on her face melt away.

"I'll let you get some rest, but I just want to say that I'm sorry if I doubted you on this one. I had no right to dismiss the issue and not take you seriously. I'm sorry."

I thought for a moment in order to choose my words carefully. Yes, it's something I've been working on. "I accept your apology, but I wish you would cut me more slack sometimes. We don't always have to do things your way."

"I agree, but sometimes your way is a little more violent and aggressive than I'd like it to be so..."

"All I ask is that you trust my way once in a while. In this 'business' you don't always get more with honey than you do with vinegar."

Barbara took my words and nodded. "You're right. Sometimes we can't be so passive about things. I think I was just afraid of not knowing what we were up against and I guess I tried to slow you down. I was afraid that you were gonna run off into the streets and hunt the thing down like a wild cowboy."

"I did anyway so how did your way work, exactly?" I was anxious to see how she was going to talk her way out of this one.

Barbara was silent and nodded a few times. "It didn't work. Okay. You happy now?"

"What? What was that? Did you say your way didn't work?"

"Helena," she said in an aggrivated tone. "I'll try to be more open to your way now and then."

"Good. It's a start."

"I know we're completely different people with completely different styles so I think we need to meet each other half way and see how that goes?"

Deep down inside I never wanted to do anything her way, just seemed to take too long and contained limited to no action. But I knew that I had no choice, so I extended my hand and she took it. "Deal."

"Deal."

I'm totally holding her to this, so let's hope for her sake she meant what she said.

~FIN


End file.
